Clothesline and post



W. O. GOURLEY CLUTHESLINE AND POST FILED MAY 22, 1920 Patented eb. 6, i923.

ttl? "laffl 'WILLIAM 0. GOURLEY, OF GARY, INDIANA.

criorrrnsnrnn AND rosr. l

Application filed May 22,

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lWILLIAM O. GoUnLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clotheslines and Posts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and efficient clothes line structure adapted to withstand the strains applied thereto when clothes are suspended thereon and are exposed to wind, said line being of a type adapted to remain extended permanently, to distinguish it from those lines which are reeled and housed when not in use, and more especially an object of the invention is to provide for manipulating the line to permit of the easy application of the clothes thereto while enabling it to be raised and drawn tight after the clothes have been applied, so as to guard against the undue vibration of the line and the consequent liability of detaching or releasing` the clothes by the loosening of the pins which are enr ployed to secure the clothes to the line; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying the invention, showing the lower ends or feet of the post embedded in the ground to a'ord the necessary rigidity to the structure to withstand the strains applied by the tension of the clothes line.

Figure 2 is a detail view of the reel and related portions of the line and post to show the means whereby the line is held in a taut condition.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly broken away of the parts of Figure 2.

The apparatus consistsl essentially of the posts 10 and 11 which are provided at their lower ends with outwardly or oppositely eX- tending feet 12, said posts and feet being formed of tubes bent substantially at a right angle in opposite directions in substantial alinement with the clothes line 13 which is stretched between the upper ends of the posts and preferably consists of galvanized wire or equivalent thereof.. The extreme ends 1920. Serial No. 383,404.

of the horizontally disposed feet of the post are connected with the body portions of the post adjacent to their upper ends by means of tensile braces 14 consisting of wire or rods G0 or the equivalent thereof.

The post 11 carries a reel 15 upon which is wound a chain 16 forming a continuation of the clothes line 13 and adapted upon the rotation of the reel to be wound thereon to 6.5

apply the desired tension to the body or wire portion ofthe line, the latter extending over a guide pulley 17 at the upper end of the post 11 and being terminally attached to an eye 18 or the equivalent thereof at the 70 upper end of the other post.

The reel for convenience in manipulation is provided with a crank 19 and carried thereby is a ratchet 20 engaged by a pawl 21 whereby it may be locked in an adjusted 75 position to maintain the line at tension.

In operation the reel may be released and turned backward to slack the line so as to the required lower the body portion thereof to facilitate so the application of the clothes or fabrics to be dried, after which the reel may be turned to apply the desired tension to the line andy raise it to the horizontal position indicated in Figure 1, whereupon the reel may be again 885 locked and permitted to remain until the removal of the clothes is desired.

The construction of the terminal posts with their bracing means serves to permit of applying the desired tension to the clothes line to resist the action of wind encountering the clothes without involving such vibration or strain upon the post so as to tend to displace the latter or detach the pins by which the fabrics are secured to the line. Moreover as jectionable appearance, and each post with its attached brace may be handled as a unit in transportation and storage and in setting up the structure for use.

"What is claimed is A clothes line reel device comprising` a clamp thereon having bearing arms each in a single piece and spaced apart at one end, said arms at a distance from said end being shaped to embrace a post, a drum for the line journaled in the spaced portions of said arms, means securing the arms in contact between the spaced portions and the postembracing' portions, a ratchet on the drum, an operating crank on the drum,A said ratchet being disposed intermediate the crank and one of said spaced portions and serving to prevent longitudinal displacement of the drum in one direction,'a pawl cooperating` with the ratchet, means pivoting the pawl to one of said arms at the post-embracingportion thereof, and the arms being separable to permit application to a post.

ln testimony Whereotl I aflix my signature Y in presence or' two witnesses.

VILLIAM O. GOURLEY. Witnesses ALBERT C. HUBER, H. STEPHENS. 

